- Born:
- June 27, 1869, Kovno (now Kaunas, Lithuania), Russian Empire
- Founder:
- “Mother Earth”
- Subjects Of Study:
- dramatic literature
- George Bernard Shaw
- Henrik Ibsen
Emma Goldman
-
Who was Emma Goldman?
Emma Goldman (1869-1940) was an international anarchist who was active in the United States from about 1890 to 1917. Goldman lectured widely, not only on anarchism and social issues, but also on modern drama. She introduced many American audiences to European playwrights. Goldman also lectured on "free love," meaning a voluntary bond between two people without legal or religious conventions, and was jailed in 1916 for speaking out in favor of birth control. She opposed U.S. involvement in World War I and was sentenced to two years in prison in July 1917 for protesting military conscription. In December 1919, she was deported to the Soviet Union.
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What does it mean to be an anarchist?
To be an anarchist means adhering to a political philosophy centered on the belief that government is both harmful and unnecessary. Anarchists deny man-made laws, viewing property as a tool for tyranny and crime as a product of authority. Instead, they advocate for a society based on voluntary cooperation and mutual aid, where individuals are free to develop socially without the constraints of imposed laws.
Emma Goldman, a prominent international anarchist active in the United States from about 1890 to 1917, lectured and wrote extensively on anarchism and social issues. She founded the journal Mother Earth and advocated for causes such as birth control and free love. Goldman opposed U.S. involvement in World War I and was later deported to the Soviet Union for her activism.
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What are some ideas and causes Emma Goldman supported?
Emma Goldman, a prominent international anarchist, was active in leftist circles in the United States from about 1890 to 1917. Goldman lectured widely, advocating for anarchism and addressing social issues through contemporary dramatic works.
Some of the ideas and causes that Goldman supported:
- Anarchism Goldman was a staunch advocate for anarchism and spoke and wrote about it extensively.
- Free love She supported "free love," which meant an uncoerced attachment between two people, irrespective of legal and religious conventions.
- Birth control Goldman was jailed in 1916 for speaking out in favor of birth control.
- Opposition to war When World War I broke out in Europe, Goldman opposed U.S. involvement and agitated against military conscription, leading to her imprisonment in 1917.
- Rejection of traditional institutions Goldman campaigned against religion, capitalism, the state, and marriage. She criticized marriage as an institution that made women dependent.
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Why did Emma Goldman face problems with the government?
Emma Goldman, a prominent international anarchist in the United States from about 1890 to 1917, faced governmental challenges due to her leftist activities. Goldman's opposition to U.S. involvement in World War I and her agitation against military conscription led to a two-year prison sentence in 1917.
Following her release in 1919, amidst widespread fear of communist influence, Goldman was labeled a subversive alien and deported to the Soviet Union with Alexander Berkman and others. Besides her anti-war stance, Goldman openly campaigned against religion, capitalism, the state, and marriage. She was also jailed briefly in 1916 for speaking out on birth control.
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How did Emma Goldman share her beliefs with others?
Emma Goldman, a prominent anarchist, disseminated her beliefs through various channels. After her release from prison in 1895, she embarked on lecture tours across Europe and the United States. In 1906, she founded Mother Earth, a periodical that she edited until 1917, further amplifying her message. Goldman also lectured on social issues, anarchism, modern drama, and "free love," advocating for uncoerced relationships and challenging societal norms. Her activism extended to opposing U.S. involvement in World War I, leading to imprisonment and eventual deportation.
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What impact did Emma Goldman have on politics and society in her time and after?
Emma Goldman, a prominent international anarchist, significantly impacted politics and society through her leftist activities in the United States from about 1890 to 1917. Known as "Red Emma," she lectured widely on anarchism, social problems, and modern drama, introducing Americans to European playwrights and advocating for "free love" and birth control. Goldman opposed U.S. involvement in World War I and military conscription, leading to imprisonment and deportation to the Soviet Union in 1919. Later, she became disillusioned with the Soviet regime. Her activism and writings continue to influence discussions on anarchism, feminism, and freedom of expression.
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Emma Goldman (born June 27, 1869, Kovno (now Kaunas, Lithuania), Russian Empire—died May 14, 1940, Toronto, Ontario, Canada) was an international anarchist who conducted leftist activities in the United States from about 1890 to 1917.
Goldman grew up in historic Lithuania, in Königsberg, East Prussia (now Kaliningrad, Russia), and in St. Petersburg. Her formal education was limited, but she read widely and in St. Petersburg associated with a radical student circle. In 1885 she immigrated to the United States and settled in Rochester, New York. There, and later in New Haven, Connecticut, she worked in clothing factories and came into contact with socialist and anarchist groups among her fellow workers. Moving to New York City in 1889, Goldman formed a close association with Alexander Berkman, who was imprisoned in 1892 for attempting to assassinate Henry Clay Frick during the Homestead steel strike. The following year she herself was jailed in New York City for inciting a riot when a group of unemployed workers reacted to a fiery speech she had delivered.
In 1895, upon her release, Goldman embarked on lecture tours of Europe and the United States. Leon Czolgosz, the assassin of U.S. Pres. William McKinley, claimed to have been inspired by her, although there was no direct connection between them, and by that time she had repudiated her earlier tolerance of violence as an acceptable means of achieving social ends. In 1906 Berkman was freed, and he and Goldman resumed their joint activities. In that year she founded Mother Earth, a periodical that she edited until its suppression in 1917. Her naturalization as a U.S. citizen was revoked by a legal stratagem in 1908. Two years later she published Anarchism and Other Essays.
Goldman spoke often and widely, not only on anarchism and social problems but also on the contemporary dramatic works of Henrik Ibsen, August Strindberg, George Bernard Shaw, and others. She was instrumental in introducing the American audience to many European playwrights, and her lectures on their work were published in 1914 as The Social Significance of the Modern Drama. She also lectured on “free love,” by which she meant an uncoerced attachment between two persons for whom conventions of law and church were irrelevant, and she was jailed briefly in 1916 for speaking out on birth control.
When World War I broke out in Europe, Goldman opposed U.S. involvement, and later she agitated against military conscription. In July 1917 she was sentenced to two years in prison for these activities. By the time of her release in September 1919, the United States was caught up in hysteria over a largely imaginary network of communist operatives. Goldman—“Red Emma,” as she was called—was declared a subversive alien and in December, along with Berkman and 247 others, was deported to the Soviet Union. Her stay there was brief. Two years after leaving, she recounted her experiences in My Disillusionment in Russia (1923). She remained active, living at various times in Sweden, Germany, England, France, and elsewhere, continuing to lecture and writing her autobiography, Living My Life (1931). At the time of her death, she was working for the antifascist cause in the Spanish Civil War.